Get to Know Your Source of Drinking Water

Maybe it's fishing with your grandfather, kayaking or boating with your friends, skipping rocks with your children, or splashing in the stream with your pet.

Our waterways are where many of us head for recreation, relaxation and exploration. But did you know that these waterways also serve as sources for our drinking water?

A drinking water source is a body of water that is used to produce drinking water such as a river, lake or reservoir.

Source waters not only provide clean drinking water they also have economic and environmental value such as:

• Support recreation and tourism, in-turn creating jobs and healthy communities

• Lessen flood damage

• Transport goods and people

• Sustain industry, manufacturing, and agriculture (i.e. hydroelectric power, process water, irrigation)

• Provide habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife

We all live in a watershed. Watersheds are areas of land where runoff from rain and snow drains into a lake, stream, river or wetland. Water travels over the land’s surfaces that include farmland, lawns and city streets, on its course to a waterway. When it rains, water runs over the surface picking up any pollutants that are on the way. Small amounts of motor oil, pet waste, pesticides or litter are multiplied along the journey to the nearest waterway.

Watershed conditions can directly affect the quantity and quality of source water supplies. The water is impacted by what happens in the watershed.

These watersheds are full of life. They provide habitat for fish, birds and wildlife and are a source of drinking water for homes and businesses. No matter where you live, work or play, you are always in a watershed.

To help understand the conditions of rivers and streams within watersheds, United States Geological Survey (USGS) manages a streamgaging network. There are USGS streamgages in many West Virginia rivers and streams. They provide data about the river that can assist in:

Source water protection is a proactive approach to safeguard, maintain, or improve the quality and/or quantity of drinking water sources and their contributing areas.

At West Virginia American Water, source water protection is one component of our overall approach to provide clean, reliable water to our customers. We take a collaborative approach to protect sources of drinking water and we're committed to these efforts in the communities we serve.

Would you like to request more information or provide feedback on our source water protection planning? We'd love to hear from you using the interactive form below.

Follow our friend Splash in the video below to learn more about how West Virginia American Water gets drinking water from your source to your tap!

We take great pride in what we do and hold ourselves to high standards in delivering safe, reliable drinking water service to our customers. Follow the link below to locate your water quality information.

Water quality reports are searchable by zip code and are updated annually with the latest information on your drinking water. 

Report spills, illegal dumping, or suspicious activity by contacting the WV Department of Environmental Protection Spill Line: 1-800-642-3074